A Short Isoform of Spermatogenic Enzyme GAPDHS Functions as a Metabolic Switch and Limits Metastasis in Melanoma.

Despite being the leading cause of cancer deaths, metastasis remains a poorly understood process. To identify novel regulators of metastasis in melanoma, we performed a large-scale RNA sequencing screen of 48 samples from patient-derived xenograft (PDX) subcutaneous melanomas and their associated metastases. In comparison with primary tumors, expression of glycolytic genes was frequently decreased in metastases, whereas expression of some tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle genes was increased in metastases. Consistent with these transcriptional changes, melanoma metastases underwent a metabolic switch characterized by decreased levels of glycolytic metabolites and increased abundance of TCA cycle metabolites. A short isoform of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, spermatogenic (GAPDHS) lacking the N-terminal domain suppressed metastasis and regulated this metabolic switch. GAPDHS was downregulated in metastatic nodules from PDX models as well as in human patients. Overexpression of GAPDHS was sufficient to block melanoma metastasis, whereas its inhibition promoted metastasis, decreased glycolysis, and increased levels of certain TCA cycle metabolites and their derivatives including citrate, fumarate, malate, and aspartate. Isotope tracing studies indicated that GAPDHS mediates this shift through changes in pyruvate carboxylase activity and aspartate synthesis, both metabolic pathways critical for cancer survival and metastasis. Together, these data identify a short isoform of GAPDHS that limits melanoma metastasis and regulates central carbon metabolism. SIGNIFICANCE: This study characterizes metabolic changes during cancer metastasis and identifies GAPDHS as a novel regulator of these processes in melanoma cells.

Vismodegib for Preservation of Visual Function in Patients with Advanced Periocular Basal Cell Carcinoma: The VISORB Trial.

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a common skin cancer often curable by excision; however, for patients with BCC around the eye, excision places visual organs and function at risk. In this article, we test the hypothesis that use of the hedgehog inhibitor vismodegib will improve vision-related outcomes in patients with orbital and extensive periocular BCC (opBCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this open-label, nonrandomized phase IV trial, we enrolled patients with globe- and lacrimal drainage system-threatening opBCC. To assess visual function in the context of invasive periorbital and lacrimal disease, we used a novel Visual Assessment Weighted Score (VAWS) in addition to standard ophthalmic exams. Primary endpoint was VAWS with a score of 21/50 (or greater) considered successful, signifying globe preservation. Tumor response was evaluated using RECIST v1.1. Surgical specimens were examined histologically by dermatopathologists. RESULTS: In 34 patients with opBCC, mean VAWS was 44/50 at baseline, 46/50 at 3 months, and 47/50 at 12 months or postsurgery. In total, 100% of patients maintained successful VAWS outcome at study endpoint. Compared with baseline, 3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.1-15.3) experienced major score decline (5+ points), 14.7% (95% CI, 5 to 31.1) experienced a minor decline (2-4 points), and 79.4% experienced a stable or improved score (95% CI, 62.1-91.3). A total of 56% (19) of patients demonstrated complete tumor regression by physical examination, and 47% (16) had complete regression by MRI/CT. A total of 79.4% (27) of patients underwent surgery, of which 67% (18) had no histologic evidence of disease, 22% (6) had residual disease with clear margins, and 11% (3) had residual disease extending to margins. CONCLUSION: Vismodegib treatment, primary or neoadjuvant, preserves globe and visual function in patients with opBCC. Clinical trail identification number.NCT02436408. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Use of the antihedgehog inhibitor vismodegib resulted in preservation of end-organ function, specifically with regard to preservation of the eye and lacrimal apparatus when treating extensive periocular basal cell carcinoma. Vismodegib as a neoadjuvant also maximized clinical benefit while minimizing toxic side effects. This is the first prospective clinical trial to demonstrate efficacy of neoadjuvant antihedgehog therapy for locally advanced periocular basal cell carcinoma, and the first such trial to demonstrate end-organ preservation.

Treatment and Outcomes for Cutaneous Periauricular Basal Cell Carcinoma: A 16-Year Institutional Experience.

OBJECTIVE: To report a single institutional experience with the surgical management of cutaneous periauricular basal cell carcinoma. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Tertiary academic center. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of 71 patients diagnosed with periauricular basal cell carcinoma managed surgically from 2000 to 2016. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 73.0 years (interquartile range, 13.0). Of all lesions, 2.8% (n = 2) were preauricular, 80.3% (n = 57) auricular, and 16.9% (n=12) postauricular. Auricular subsites included conchal bowl (36.6%, n = 26), helix (21.1%, n = 15), antihelix (1.4%, n = 1), peritragus (5.6%, n = 4), triangular fossa (1.4%, n = 1), external auditory canal (2.8%, n = 2), and lobule skin (1.4%, n = 1). Surgical approach included wide local excision (80.3%, n = 57), partial auriculectomy (8.5%, n = 6), and total auriculectomy or other combinations of surgical methods (11.3%, n = 8). Due to aggressive pathology, 3 cases required concurrent parotidectomy, neck dissection, ear canal sleeve resection, or mastoidectomy. In sum, 52.1% (n = 37) of cases had clear margins on first pass in the operating room; 25.4% (n = 18) required further resection; and 12.7% (n = 9) demonstrated final positive/overturned margins read as negative from the frozen sections. Reconstruction included full-thickness (25.4%, n = 18) or superficial-thickness (29.6%, n = 21) skin grafts and local flap reconstruction (25.4%, n = 18), while 5.6% (n = 4) required combinations of free flap and/or other reconstruction techniques; 14.1% (n = 10) did not undergo formal reconstruction. CONCLUSION: Periauricular basal cell carcinoma occurs in anatomically diverse locations in and around the ear, and multiple surgical methods are required for successful treatment.

Management of the positive sentinel lymph node in the post-MSLT-II era.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The publication of MSLT-II shifted recommendations for management of sentinel lymph node biopsy positive (SLNB+) melanoma to favor active surveillance. We examined trends in immediate completion lymph node dissection (CLND) following publication of MSLT-II. METHODS: Using a prospective melanoma database at a high-volume center, we identified a cohort of consecutive SLNB+ patients from July 2016 to April 2019. Patient and disease characteristics were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression to examine factors associated with CLND. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-five patients were included for analysis. CLND rates were 67%, 33%, and 26% for the year before, year after, and second-year following MSLT-II. Factors associated with undergoing CLND included primary located in the head and neck (59% vs 33%, P = .003 and odds ratio [OR], 5.22, P = .002) and higher sentinel node tumor burden (43% vs 10% for tumor burden ≥0.1 mm, P < .001 and OR, 8.64, P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Rates of CLND in SLNB+ melanoma decreased dramatically, albeit not uniformly, following MSLT-II. Factors that increased the likelihood of immediate CLND were primary tumor located in the head and neck and high sentinel node tumor burden. These groups were underrepresented in MSLT-II, suggesting that clinicians are wary of implementing active surveillance recommendations for patients perceived as higher risk.

Lymph protects metastasizing melanoma cells from ferroptosis.

Cancer cells, including melanoma cells, often metastasize regionally through the lymphatic system before metastasizing systemically through the blood1-4; however, the reason for this is unclear. Here we show that melanoma cells in lymph experience less oxidative stress and form more metastases than melanoma cells in blood. Immunocompromised mice with melanomas derived from patients, and immunocompetent mice with mouse melanomas, had more melanoma cells per microlitre in tumour-draining lymph than in tumour-draining blood. Cells that metastasized through blood, but not those that metastasized through lymph, became dependent on the ferroptosis inhibitor GPX4. Cells that were pretreated with chemical ferroptosis inhibitors formed more metastases than untreated cells after intravenous, but not intralymphatic, injection. We observed multiple differences between lymph fluid and blood plasma that may contribute to decreased oxidative stress and ferroptosis in lymph, including higher levels of glutathione and oleic acid and less free iron in lymph. Oleic acid protected melanoma cells from ferroptosis in an Acsl3-dependent manner and increased their capacity to form metastatic tumours. Melanoma cells from lymph nodes were more resistant to ferroptosis and formed more metastases after intravenous injection than did melanoma cells from subcutaneous tumours. Exposure to the lymphatic environment thus protects melanoma cells from ferroptosis and increases their ability to survive during subsequent metastasis through the blood.

DNA copy number changes correlate with clinical behavior in melanocytic neoplasms: proposal of an algorithmic approach.

Increasingly, molecular methods are being utilized in the workup of melanocytic neoplasms. To this end, we sought to correlate data from a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array platform based on molecular inversion probes with clinical data. Copy number variation (CNV) data were obtained on 95 melanocytic tumors (6 ordinary nevi, 15 atypical nevi, 34 ambiguous neoplasms, and 40 melanomas) from 92 patients. The average number of significant CNVs was 0 for nevi, 0.6 for atypical nevi (range 0-3), 2.8 for ambiguous neoplasms (range 0-17), and 18.1 for melanomas (range 0-69). Clinical follow-up data were available in 57 of 95 lesions (56 of 92 patients). Tumors from patients with adverse events demonstrated an average number of CNVs of 24.5 (range 6-69) as compared with 7.9 (range 0-35) among tumors without an associated adverse event (p ≤ 0.001). No adverse events were observed in nevi including atypical nevi. Adverse events were found in 2 of 19 ambiguous neoplasms and 10 of 32 melanomas with follow up. In these two latter groups of neoplasms, the correlation between adverse events and the average number of CNVs remained statistically significant even when controlled for Breslow depth (21.5 versus 8.7, p value = 0.036). No neoplasm with adverse events had ≤3 CNVs. These results provide further evidence that SNP array testing for CNVs may be helpful in the classification and prognostication of ambiguous neoplasms. Based on these results, an algorithmic approach to challenging melanocytic neoplasms using CNV data is suggested, using as cutoff of >3 CNVs with some caveats, as the threshold for a positive result. Future clinical validation, using a larger cohort of relevant tumors, will be necessary.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Head and Neck Melanoma: Long-term Outcomes, Prognostic Value, Accuracy, and Safety.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for head and neck cutaneous melanoma (HNCM). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary academic medical center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Longitudinal review of a 356-patient cohort with HNCM undergoing SLNB from 1997 to 2007. RESULTS: Descriptive characteristics included the following: age, 53.5 ± 19 years (mean ± SD); sex, 26.8% female; median follow-up, 4.9 years; and Breslow depth, 2.52 ± 1.87 mm. Overall, 75 (21.1%) patients had a positive SLNB. Among patients undergoing completion lymph node dissection following positive SLNB, 20 (27.4%) had at least 1 additional positive nonsentinel lymph node. Eighteen patients with local control and negative SLNB developed regional disease, indicating a false omission rate of 6.4%, including 10 recurrences in previously unsampled basins. Ten-year overall survival (OS) and melanoma-specific survival (MSS) were significantly greater in the negative sentinel lymph node (SLN) cohort (OS, 61% [95% CI, 0.549-0.677]; MSS, 81.9% [95% CI, 0.769-0.873]) than the positive SLN cohort (OS, 31% [95% CI, 0.162-0.677]; MSS, 60.3% [95% CI, 0.464-0.785]) and positive SLN/positive nonsentinel lymph node cohort (OS, 8.4% [95% CI, 0.015-0.474]; MSS, 9.6% [95% CI, 0.017-0.536]). OS was significantly associated with SLN positivity (hazard ratio [HR], 2.39; P < .01), immunosuppression (HR, 2.37; P < .01), angiolymphatic invasion (HR, 1.91; P < .01), and ulceration (HR, 1.86; P < .01). SLN positivity (HR, 3.13; P < .01), angiolymphatic invasion (HR, 3.19; P < .01), and number of mitoses (P = .0002) were significantly associated with MSS. Immunosuppression (HR, 3.01; P < .01) and SLN status (HR, 2.84; P < .01) were associated with recurrence-free survival, and immunosuppression was the only factor significantly associated with regional recurrence (HR, 6.59; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term follow up indicates that SLNB showcases durable accuracy, safety, and prognostic importance for cutaneous HNCM.

Next-generation sequencing implicates oncogenic roles for p53 and JAK/STAT signaling in microcystic adnexal carcinomas.

Microcystic adnexal carcinoma is a locally aggressive sweat gland carcinoma characterized by its infiltrative growth and histopathologic overlap with benign adnexal tumors, often posing challenges to both diagnosis and management. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of microcystic adnexal carcinoma may allow for more accurate diagnosis and identify potential targetable oncogenic drivers. We characterized 18 microcystic adnexal carcinomas by targeted, multiplexed PCR-based DNA next-generation sequencing of the coding sequence of over 400 cancer-relevant genes. The majority of cases had relatively few (<8) prioritized somatic mutations, and lacked an ultraviolet (UV) signature. The most recurrent mutation was TP53 inactivation in four (22%) tumors. Frame-preserving insertions affecting the kinase domain of JAK1 were detected in three (17%) cases, and were nonoverlapping with TP53 mutations. Seven (39%) cases demonstrated copy number gain of at least one oncogene. By immunohistochemistry, p53 expression was significantly higher in microcystic adnexal carcinomas with TP53 mutations compared with those without such mutations and syringomas. Similarly, phospho-STAT3 expression was significantly higher in microcystic adnexal carcinomas harboring JAK1 kinase insertions compared with those with wild-type JAK1 and syringomas. In conclusion, microcystic adnexal carcinomas are molecularly heterogeneous tumors, with inactivated p53 or activated JAK/STAT signaling in a subset. Unlike most other nonmelanoma skin cancers involving sun-exposed areas, most microcystic adnexal carcinomas lack evidence of UV damage, and hence likely originate from a relatively photo-protected progenitor population in the dermis. These findings have implications for the biology, diagnosis, and treatment of microcystic adnexal carcinomas, including potential for therapeutic targeting of p53 or the JAK/STAT pathway in advanced tumors.

Cranial nerve outcomes in regionally recurrent head & neck melanoma after sentinel lymph node biopsy.

OBJECTIVE: Characterize long-term cranial nerve (CN) outcomes following sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) based management for head and neck cutaneous melanoma (HNCM). METHODS: Longitudinal review of HNCM patients undergoing SLNB from 1997-2007. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-six patients were identified, with mean age 53.5 ± 19.0 years, mean Breslow depth 2.52 ± 1.87 mm, and 4.9 years median follow-up. One hundred five (29.4%) patients had SLNB mapping to the parotid basin. Eighteen patients had positive parotid SLNs and underwent immediate parotidectomy / immediate completion lymph node dissection (iCLND), with six possessing positive parotid non-sentinel lymph nodes (NSLNs). Fifty-two of 356 (14.6%) patients developed delayed regional recurrences, including 20 total intraparotid recurrences: five following false negative (FN) parotid SLNB, three following prior immediate superficial parotidectomy, two following iCLND without parotidectomy, and the remaining 12 parotid recurrences had negative extraparotid SLNBs. Parotid recurrences were multiple (4.9 mean recurrent nodes) and advanced (n = 4 extracapsular extension), and all required salvage dissection including parotidectomy. Immediate parotidectomy/iCLND led to no permanent CN injuries. Delayed regional HNCM macrometastasis precipitated 16 total permanent CN injuries in 13 patients: 10 CN VII, five CN XI, and one CN XII deficits. Fifty percent (n = 10) of parotid recurrences caused ≥1 permanent CN deficits. CONCLUSIONS: Regional HNCM macrometastases and salvage dissection confer marked CN injury risk, whereas early surgical intervention via SLNB ± iCLND ± immediate parotidectomy yielded no CN injuries. Further, superficial parotidectomy performed in parotid-mapping HNCM does not obviate delayed intraparotid recurrences, which increase risk of CN VII injury. Despite lack of a published disease-specific survival advantage in melanoma, early disease control in cervical and parotid basins is paramount to minimize CN complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 (retrospective case series) Laryngoscope, 130:1707-1714, 2020.

Institutional Experience of Treatment and Outcomes for Cutaneous Periauricular Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To report our institutional experience, management, and outcomes of cutaneous periauricular squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Tertiary academic center. SUBJECTS: Patients undergoing treatment of cutaneous periauricular SCC from 2000 to 2016. RESULTS: A total of 112 patients had a median follow-up of 24.5 months, a mean ± SD age of 75.7 ± 10.6 years, and a strong male predominance (93.8%). Site distribution shows 87 (77.7%) auricular, 26 (23.2%) preauricular, and 10 (8.8%) postauricular lesions. Of auricular lesions, tumors involved the tragus (n = 3, 3.4%), helix/antihelix (n = 47, 54.0%), conchal bowl (n = 31, 35.6%), external auditory canal (n = 18, 16.1%), and lobule (n = 3, 3.4%). Most patients presented at stage I (52.7%) versus stages II (28.6%), III (6.3%), and IV (12.5%). Patients were largely treated surgically with primary tumor resection ranging from wide local excision to lateral temporal bone resection (± parotidectomy and neck dissection), with 17.0% and 5.4% receiving adjuvant radiation and chemoradiation, respectively. Metastatic spread was seen to the parotid (25.9%) and neck (26.8%), with most common cervical spread to level II. Overall survival, disease-specific survival, and disease-free survival at 3 years were 62%, 89%, and 56%, respectively. Nodal disease was associated with worse disease-specific survival (P < .001) and disease-free survival (P = .042). Pre- and postauricular sites were associated with worse overall survival (P = .007) relative to auricular sites. CONCLUSION: Among cutaneous SCC, periauricular subsites pose treatment challenges related to surrounding anatomy and represent a unique tumor population. The reported propensity toward recurrence and patterns of metastasis may better guide treatment of aggressive tumors to include regional nodal dissection.

Molecular testing of borderline cutaneous melanocytic lesions: SNP array is more sensitive and specific than FISH.

Melanocytic lesions with borderline features are diagnostically challenging. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays, which detect genomic copy number alterations (CNAs), can be helpful in distinguishing between nevi and melanoma. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has been used as a more rapid, less expensive alternative to SNP array, using a panel of probes that are often gained or lost in melanoma. We used SNP array data from 63 borderline cutaneous melanocytic lesions and 44 definitive melanomas to predict the performance of FISH testing. Lesions were considered positive by "virtual FISH" if 1 or more of the 5 FISH-probed loci demonstrated appropriate CNAs by SNP array. Cases were classified as positive by SNP array if ≥3 CNAs were present, based on internal validation studies, or if FISH criteria were met. Conventional FISH was performed in 33 cases (17 borderline lesions, 16 melanomas). Of the 63 borderline cases, 44 (70%) were positive by SNP array and 30 (48%) were positive by virtual FISH. A higher proportion of melanomas were positive by SNP array (41/44, 93% sensitivity) and virtual FISH (36/44, 82% sensitivity). Virtual FISH had 61% sensitivity in the borderline group using SNP array as the gold standard, whereas specificity was 84%. There was good correlation between conventional and virtual FISH, with agreement in 30 of 33 (91%) cases. Although FISH is highly effective in distinguishing between nevi and melanoma in cases where the histological diagnosis is straightforward, it is not nearly as sensitive or specific as SNP array when applied to borderline lesions.

Completion Lymph Node Dissection or Radiation Therapy for Sentinel Node Metastasis in Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: For sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis from Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), the benefit of completion lymph node dissection (CLND) versus radiation therapy (RT) is unclear. This study compares outcomes for patients with SLN metastasis undergoing CLND or RT. We also evaluated positive non-SLNs as a prognostic factor. METHODS: Using a prospective database, we identified MCC patients with SLN metastasis who underwent CLND or RT. At our institution, CLND was recommended for patients with acceptable perioperative risk, while therapeutic RT was offered to those with high perioperative risk. Primary outcomes were MCC-specific survival (MCCSS), disease-free survival (DFS), nodal recurrence-free survival (NRFS), and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS). RESULTS: From 2006 to 2017, 163 patients underwent CLND (n = 137) or RT (n = 26). Median follow-up was 1.9 years. CLND had no significant differences for MCCSS (5-year survival 71% vs. 64%, p = 1.0), DFS (52% vs. 61%, p = 0.8), NRFS (76% vs. 91%, p = 0.3), or DRFS (65% vs. 75%, p = 0.3) compared with RT. Patients with positive non-SLNs (n = 44) had significantly worse MCCSS (5-year survival 39% vs. 87%, p < 0.001), DFS (35% vs. 60%, p = 0.005), and DRFS (54% vs. 71%, p = 0.03) compared with negative non-SLNs (n = 93). Multivariate analysis showed positive non-SLNs were independently associated with MCCSS, DFS, and DRFS. CONCLUSIONS: CLND and RT may have similar outcomes for MCC patients with SLN metastasis when treatment aligns with our institutional practices. For patients undergoing CLND, positive non-SLNs is an important prognostic factor associated with poor survival and distant recurrence. This high-risk group should be considered for adjuvant systemic therapy trials.

Association of the POT1 Germline Missense Variant p.I78T With Familial Melanoma.

Importance: The protection of telomeres 1 protein (POT1) is a critical component of the shelterin complex, a multiple-protein machine that regulates telomere length and protects telomere ends. Germline variants in POT1 have been linked to familial melanoma, and somatic mutations are associated with a range of cancers including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Objective: To characterize pathogenic variation in POT1 in families with melanoma to inform clinical management. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this case study and pedigree evaluation, analysis of the pedigree of 1 patient with melanoma revealed a novel germline POT1 variant (p.I78T, c.233T>C, chromosome 7, g.124870933A>G, GRCh38) that was subsequently found in 2 other pedigrees obtained from the GenoMEL Consortium. Main Outcomes and Measures: (1) Identification of the POT1 p.I78T variant; (2) evaluation of the clinical features and characteristics of patients with this variant; (3) analysis of 3 pedigrees; (4) genomewide single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping of germline DNA; and (5) a somatic genetic analysis of available nevi and 1 melanoma lesion. Results: The POT1 p.I78T variant was found in 3 melanoma pedigrees, all of persons who self-reported as being of Jewish descent, and was shown to disrupt POT1-telomere binding. A UV mutation signature was associated with nevus and melanoma formation in POT1 variant carriers, and somatic mutations in driver genes such as BRAF, NRAS, and KIT were associated with lesion development in these patients. Conclusions and Relevance: POT1 p.I78T is a newly identified, likely pathogenic, variant meriting screening for in families with melanoma after more common predisposition genes such as CDKN2A have been excluded. It could also be included as part of gene panel testing.

Pediatric melanoma and aggressive Spitz tumors: a retrospective diagnostic, exposure and outcome analysis.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis and management of pediatric melanomas is challenging given the presence of both melanomas and histologically aggressive Spitz tumors of undetermined biological significance (S-UBS) in this age group. Study objectives were to examine: factors leading to diagnostic delays, therapy side effects and patient outcomes in these diagnostic groups. METHODS: A retrospective case review was performed using The University of Michigan's pediatric oncology database over a 13-year timespan. Patients referred to our clinic for consideration of interferon therapy due to a diagnosis of a stage III melanoma or aggressive appearing S-UBS with significant lymph node involvement were included. RESULTS: We found two major causes of diagnosis delay: patients with amelanotic lesions misdiagnosed as having a wart and cases reviewed by non-expert pathologists upfront. The side effects from interferon therapy requiring dose adjustments included neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and mood disturbances. There was wide variability in surveillance scan utilization, therefore leading to variability in patient radiation exposure. Unlike melanoma patients, none of the S-UBS patients experienced disease progression or death. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the challenges with the initial clinical diagnosis and pathological sub-categorization of the pediatric S-UBS/melanoma spectrum of skin lesions and emphasizes the role of expert pathology review upfront. Further, education at the primary care level could improve accurate and timely diagnoses. Earlier diagnosis could spare patients from more extensive interventions, metastatic spread or adverse outcomes in this patient population. This study is limited due to its retrospective, single-institution perspective.

Subungual atypical lentiginous melanocytic proliferations in children and adolescents: A clinicopathologic study.

BACKGROUND: Most subungual melanocytic lesions in children are benign, but some are difficult to classify due to prominent lentiginous growth and high-grade cytologic atypia. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the clinicopathologic features of these rare lesions. METHODS: Subungual atypical lentiginous melanocytic proliferations from patients <20 years of age were collected for clinical and histopathologic review. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed when possible. RESULTS: Eleven patients aged 2-19 years had expanding or darkening longitudinal pigmented streak(s) with or without Hutchinson sign. Microscopically, all revealed predominantly single-cell growth, pagetoid scatter, and poor circumscription. Eight (73%) cases showed focal or poor nesting, and 3 (27%) demonstrated confluence. Nuclear enlargement, hyperchromasia, and angulation were present in 8 (73%) cases, 7 (64%) cases, and 6 (55%) cases, respectively. One of 4 cases tested by FISH was positive. Three lesions recurred locally without other adverse outcome. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size and short clinical follow-up. Two cases were examined in partial biopsies only. CONCLUSION: Some subungual melanocytic lesions in children and adolescents are histologically indistinguishable from adult subungual melanoma in situ. While the biologic potential remains elusive, FISH might aid in risk stratification. Awareness of this rare group of lesions is crucial for facilitating future investigation into its biologic behavior.